The first ever Puliima National Indigenous Languages and Information Communication Technology Forum has come and gone and by the feedback that we have received it has been a huge success, on this page we will put together a summary of the event and our comments.

Firstly, we would like to thank all of the 81 delegates and speakers who first put their trust in this event and then came along and contributed in many ways to making this event such a success for Arwarbukarl CRA to have hosted. Delegates came from all around the country to the Awabakal Nation, and converged on the CBD area of Newcastle for the forum which was held at the Newcastle Regional Museum.

Secondly, the forum would definately not have gone ahead if it wasnt for the magnificent support provided to us by our sponsors and supporters, namely Microsoft Australia, Telstra Country Wide, Newcastle Regional Museum, WorkVentures, Indigenous Creative Enterprise Centre and lastly our funding body the Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts.

Forum Blog

Nick Thieberger has kindly wrote a review of the forum on his blog site, people can read it and also add comments as well, so please visit Nicks blog and read, you never know what else you will find. Nicks Blog Here.

Presenters

The speakers especially put in a huge effort for their presentations; it was a challenging task to focus 2 and a half days on Aboriginal languages and Information Technology and for each presenter to complement one another. We cannot thank you all enough for your contribution.

Here is a list of the presenters and the topic of their presentation:

Melinda Holden and Cassy Nancarrow

You Can't Learn Your Language if you Don't Know the Sounds (QLD) - Warrgamay Language Program

Albert Burgman -Wangka Maya Pilbara Aboriginal Language Centre

Computer based Interactive Dictionaries based on SIL's Lexique Pro.

John Giacon ANU - Usyd, Gamilaraay - Yuwaalaraay (GY)

Technology in Gamilarraay Yuwaalaraay language rebuilding

Colleen Hattersley -Nyikina Inc/Madjulla Inc (West Kimberley)

Vocab memory game for language

Cat Kutay - Sydney Aboriginal Language Learning Support

Software as Language Learning Support

John Hobson - Koori Centre, University of Sydney

Training Teachers for Indigenous Languages Education

Susan Atkins - The Learning Federation, Curriculum Corporation

Web based tools to support the production of Language resources

Nick Thieberger - Department of Linguistics, University of Melbourne and Pacific and Regional Archive for Digital Sources in Endangered Cultures (PARADISEC)

Transcription of oral tradition in linguistic research ­ improving outputs for speakers and their descendants.

Ministers Speech

Please find attached, a message from the Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts, Senator the Hon Helen Coonan, to be read at the official opening of the Puliima National Indigenous Languages ICT Forum, to be held at the Newcastle Regional Museum, tomorrow morning, Tuesday, 24 April 2007, from 9:20am.